Thread: Saw Handle Timber

Well my kit from Blackburn Tools has turned up and I have purchased a slab of Black Wattle and cut into to suitable boards ...... now the drying process begins....... The slab came from a dead tree that had been burned off at the stump so I imagine that the drying process won't be that lengthy...... Not having a moisture meter is a bit of a worry...... but at this stage I have plenty of other projects to complete so it can sit and dry till I am ready. I am hoping that I can get enough suitable dry timber to make a few saw handles and a complete set of new handles for my Mathieson socket chisels.....

Gaza, most of the green wood I've collected over the years was dry long before I got around to using it! However, I'm sure I'd be impatient to put the saw to work, if I were in your shoes, so I'd probably knock up a temporary handle out of something dry & ready to work. It would be a good rehearsal for the real thing, and in my case, almost certainly ensure the 'proper' handle didn't happen for several years, by which time the Wattle would be very adequately dried....

Or, if you were really keen to speed things up, you could make a small solar kiln out of plastic, or old window panes.......

Cheers,

Yes pretty keen to get into it.... but have to finish some projects first... I have a nasty habit of having a number of projects on the go at the same time.. And yes I certainly want to tackle a handle out of something cheaper to start with..... I ordered some HSS Forstner bits the other day... and am looking forward to putting those to use..... do you have any recommendations on working out when the timber is dry...or do I need to invest in a moisture meter?

Originally Posted by Gaza58

I have a nasty habit of having a number of projects on the go at the same time..

Whoa! "Nasty"..where did that come from? I can relate quite well to "normal," but nasty ?

Regards
Paul

[QUOTE=Bushmiller;1980443]

Originally Posted by Gaza58

I have a nasty habit of having a number of projects on the go at the same time.. QUOTE]

Whoa! "Nasty"..where did that come from? I can relate quite well to "normal," but nasty ?

Regards
Paul

Ha Ha Paul...... Well That's... what my wife keeps telling me............ It's probably more like a nasty Habit that's become normal

Originally Posted by Gaza58

do you have any recommendations on working out when the timber is dry...or do I need to invest in a moisture meter?

Store the timber somewhere cool and dry. Weigh it once a month and write the weight and date on the timber so you do not forget or get confused. When it is the same weight two or three times in a row, it means the timber has stopped losing moisture and is dry.

Having said that, if all you have is a piece of timber as big as a saw handle, it may be difficult to weigh it sufficiently accurately. In your case you indicated you had more of that timber for similar projects.

A couple of boards of similar thickness and properties stacked and stickered properly could be weighed together.

Cheers

Doug

Doug/Gaza

In fact the small pieces may be easier to weigh. A little subterfuge is required however, so this suggestion is not for those with a conscience. Wait until SWMBO, LOYL, partner or significant other leaves the house for a suitable period of time. Allow five minutes or so for an unexpected return for a purse or mobile phone. Then grab the digital kitchen scales.

These will more than likely be accurate enough for your purpose. After use return to exactly the position in which you found them making very sure they are free of sawdust or anything else incriminating. In particular remember to remove the wood!

It is a small deception, which is allowable for such good cause. Try not to get caught, but if you are caught, console yourself with the thought it is easier to seek forgiveness than permission.

Regards
Paul

Originally Posted by Bushmiller

In fact the small pieces may be easier to weigh. A little subterfuge is required however, so this suggestion is not for those with a conscience. Wait until SWMBO, LOYL, partner or significant other leaves the house for a suitable period of time. Allow five minutes or so for an unexpected return for a purse or mobile phone. Then grab the digital kitchen scales...l

Paul, I have no need to resort to sneaky tactics and subterfuge - I can and do take things from the kitchen when I need them. generally I have built up a reputation for looking after such items.

Besides, she likes to borrow my straightedge, large squares and triangles etc for cutting out her quilting and she likes having nice sharp kitchen knives. It's a relationship built on give and take.

I really do not need to borrow the scales at all ...

These were less than $10 ($6.99 I think) so we got one for the shed and one for the kitchen:

20161003_181107.jpg

Great for mixing two-part products. When used for something messy I put it in a zippy bag. The shed scales are usually cleaner than the kitchen scales anyway, all that flour residue and sticky lumps of sugar. caramel or whatever. Imagine that lot contaminating your project and ruining the finish.

Originally Posted by Gaza58

... I have a nasty habit of having a number of projects on the go at the same time.. ......

As the others have said, not a nasty habit at all - perfectly normal behaviour! 'Tis a bit of a worry, though, when I come across the bits of some project started months or years ago, & can't for the life of me remember what they were actually going to be.....

Originally Posted by Gaza58

..... do you have any recommendations on working out when the timber is dry...or do I need to invest in a moisture meter?

I suppose a moisture meter is a useful gadget, but I've never felt a pressing need for one, myself. They need to be used with great care, too, as it's very easy to get false readings. As I said above, by the time I get round to using any wood I've harvested, it's had more than enough time to equilibrate, if you go by the rule of thumb of a year per inch of thickness - most of it is 'dry' several times over! Depending on the wood, you can get a rough idea of its state of dryness by tapping a couple of bits together. Wet wood gives a dull soggy 'thud' whereas dry wood 'rings', but it's only a guide.

For far & away the most accurate estimate of MC, weigh some smallish samples, then stick them in an oven (at around 100 deg) for a day or two. The oven-dry weight is zero %, so from the weight of the dried sample, you can soon calculate the MC of the wood. I used to do that regularly back when I had a day job & access to drying ovens that were operating round the clock. You can make yourself a reasonably efficient drying oven using a light bulb for a heat source (something I've been meaning to do!), and these days, digital kitchen scales are accurate enough for the weighing bit.

Or, simply be patient......

Cheers,

Thanks Guys......I think that by the time I get to use some it will be dry anyway..... It seemed fairly dry already when I was cutting it up. Was thinking when I have a break over Christmas will be an ideal time to attack a few handles and see how I go. That will give it a few months to stabilize...... I do have access to some very accurate scales so will give that a go as well.

How did the handle turn out? And was it dry enough?